Matthew 24:40
See that the word divides humans into two ranks — the saved and the destroyed. He says the saved are taken along, and the destroyed are left, that is, rejected. By “field” (Matthew 24:40–41) here understand the world, where “the one sowing to the Spirit harvests eternal life, and the one sowing to the flesh, corruption.” (Galatians 6:8) He likens teachers to the women grinding, who in a way thin out the scriptural thoughts and set the divine oracles before humans as easily accepted and easily understood. For the law also, commanding that a millstone or upper millstone not be taken in pledge so that someone who takes the tools of food may not hinder those fed through them, indicates teachers in a riddle.
The Lord divides humans into two ranks — the saved and the destroyed. He says the saved are taken along, and the impious are left, which is to be rejected. He likens teachers to the women grinding as thinning the scriptures and making them easily accepted and easily understood by humans. For the law also forbids taking a millstone or upper millstone in pledge, so that someone who takes the tools of food may not become an obstacle to those being fed. That is why the Savior also indicates teachers in a riddle (Deuteronomy 24:6).
Greek
Ὅρα, ὅτι εἰς δύο τάγματα διαι ρεῖ ὁ λόγος τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, εἴς τε τῶν σῳζομένων καὶ τῶν ἀπολλυ μένων. καὶ τοὺς μὲν σῳζομένους λέγει παραλαμβάνεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ ἀπολλυμένους ἀφίεσθαι ἤγουν ἀποδοκιμάζεσθαι. ἀγρὸν δὲ νοη τέον ὧδε τὸν κόσμον, ἔνθα "ὁ" μὲν "εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα σπείρων θερίζει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ὁ" δὲ "εἰς τὴν σάρκα, φθοράν". ταῖς δὲ ἀληθούσαις παρ εικάζει τοὺς διδασκάλους, οἵτινες τρόπον τινὰ ἀπολεπτύνοντες τὰς γραφικὰς ἐννοίας εὐπαράδεκτα καὶ εὐνόητα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ θεῖα λόγια προτιθέασιν· καὶ γὰρ νόμος κελεύων μὴ λαμβάνεσθαι εἰς ἐνέ χυρον μύλον ἢ ἐπιμύλιον, ἵνα μὴ τὰ τῆς τροφῆς ἐργαλεῖα λαβών τις ἐμποδίσῃ τοῖς τρεφομένοις δι' αὐ τῶν, αἰνιγματωδῶς τοὺς διδασκά λους ὑποσημαίνει. Εἰς δύο τάγματα διαιρεῖ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁ κύριος, εἴς τε τὸ τῶν σῳζομένων καὶ εἰς τὸ τῶν ἀπολλυ μένων· καὶ τὸ μὲν τῶν σῳζομένων παραλαμβάνεσθαι λέγει, τοὺς δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἀφίεσθαι, ὅ ἐστιν ἀποδοκιμάζεσθαι. ταῖς δὲ ἀλη θούσαις τοὺς διδασκάλους παρ εικάζει ὡς λεπτύνοντας τὰς γραφὰς καὶ εὐπαραδέκτους καὶ εὐνοήτους τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ποιοῦντας· καὶ γὰρ ὁ νόμος μὴ λαμβάνεσθαι εἰς ἐνέχυρον μύλον κωλύει ἢ ἐπιμύλιον, ὅπως μὴ τὰ τῆς τροφῆς ἐργαλεῖα λαβών τις ἐμποδὼν γένηται τοῖς τρεφο μένοις. διὸ καὶ αἰνιγματωδῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοὺς διδασκάλους ὑποση μαίνει.
About this text
Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.
English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 72 Commentarii in Matthaeum (Aegean Digital Patrologia / khazarzar) (Greek · CPG 5206 catena fragments (290 parsed heads))
- Checked print matia.gr mirror of same Aegean extract (Greek · Byte-identical PDF; integrity check only)
- Checked print Internet Archive PG 72 volume OCR (bim … 1859_72) (Greek (OCR damaged) · Locus confirmation only; not used as reading text)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.